How to insert Columns in Excel worksheet

Sometimes you may want to insert new blank Columns in Excel worksheet. This tutorial lesson explains how to insert new blank Columns in Excel worksheet.

In an Excel Worksheet, there are 16384 total columns available. When you insert a new Column, the total available number of Columns in Excel worksheet do not change. If the last Columns (equivalent to the inserted number of Columns) in Excel worksheet are empty, those Columns are removed from the worksheet to accommodate newly inserted Columns.

If the last Columns in Excel worksheet are not empty, it is not possible to insert new Columns. If the last Columns in Excel worksheet are not empty and you try to insert new Columns, Excel will display error dialog box as shown in below image.

Method 1 - How to insert a single Column in Excel worksheet

To insert a new blank Column in Excel worksheet, follow below steps.

Step 1 - Select the Column where you want to insert the new blank Column by clicking on its Column letter. In this example, I want to insert a new blank Column at the location of Column C. Hence, I had selected Column C.

After selecting the Column where you want to insert new blank Column, right-click on the selected Column and select "Insert" from context menu, as shown in below image.

Another way to achieve the same result is by running "Insert Sheet Columns" command from Excel Ribbon > "Cells" Group > "Insert" menu button as shown below.

Step 2 - A new blank Column is inserted at the location of the selected Column. All the Columns from the location of selected Column are pushed to right-side to accommodate newly inserted Column, as shown in below image. You can see from below image that the existing contents of Column C (the Column we had selected) are pushed right-side to Column D and so on.

Below Animation shows how to insert a new single blank Column in Excel worksheet.

If you want to insert large number of new blank Columns in an Excel worksheet, it is not an efficient method to insert single Columns one by one. If you want to insert large number of Columns, follow any of below methods.

Method 2 - How to insert multiple contiguous Columns in Excel worksheet

To insert multiple new blank contiguous Columns in Excel worksheet, follow these steps.

Step 1 - Select the Columns where you want to insert new contiguous Columns by clicking, dragging and releasing mouse pointer on its Column letters. In this example, I want to insert two new Columns at the location of Column B and Column C. Hence, I had selected Column B and Column C.

After selecting the Columns where you want to insert multiple contiguous Columns, right-click on the selected Columns and select "Insert" from context menu, as shown in below image.

Step 2 - Two new blank contiguous Columns are inserted at the location of the selected Columns. All the Columns from the location of selected Columns and below are pushed towards right-side, as shown in below image.

Below Animation shows how to insert multiple new blank contiguous Columns in Excel worksheet.

Method 3 - How to insert multiple noncontiguous Columns in Excel worksheet

To insert multiple new blank noncontiguous Columns in Excel worksheet, follow below steps.

Step 1 - Select the Columns where you want to insert new noncontiguous Columns by pressing & holding "Ctrl" key and then clicking on its Column letters. In this example, I want to insert two new blank noncontiguous Columns at the location of Column H and Column J. Hence, I had selected Column H and Column J.

After selecting the Columns where you want to insert multiple noncontiguous Columns, right-click on any of the selected Columns and select "Insert" from context menu, as shown in below image.

Step 2 - Note that a new blank Column is inserted at the location of Column H. The extisting contents of Column H and Column I are pushed to right-side by a single Column to accommodate the new Column at Column H. Another new blank Column is inserted at Column K and existing contents of Column J are pushed right-side to Column L, as shown in below image.

Below Animation shows how to insert multiple noncontiguous Columns in Excel worksheet.